Loose leaf binder



May 17, 1932. c DAWSON 1,859,237

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed p60. 6, 1930 Lia/42712507" Ms C. Daw5072/ Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE. v

JAMEs c. DAWSON, 0F WEBSTER GROVES, ivrissounr, Assrenon '10 ELMA 1v. DAWSON, or WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOUBI LoosE LEAF EINDEE Application filed December 6, 1930. Serial No. 500,448.:

This invention relates to loose leaf binders, and particularly to binders in which wire elements form the toggle system. Forming an intermediate prong upon such a toggle member or arch frame of loose leaf binders either has produced a clumsy, unsymmetrical device, or the expense of the operation has proved an intolerable burden.

By a custom of the trade, loose leaf binder merchandise falls into three groups, the cheapest being simply cardboard cover sheets having eyelets therein with loose locking rings passed through the eyelets. The next grade consists of binders incorporating wire arch frames, while the higher grades of merchandise are supplied with fiat toggle plates which support the paper holding arches.

Because of the low price at which wire arch frame binders must be sold, all operations of manufacture must be expeditious and ex ceedingly cheap. As a consequence wire arch frame binders have been available commercially with only two paper-holding arch-es, which have been formed integrally upon the ends of the toggles, although in such binders there is the same need for three or more prongs as exists in binders of the more expensive types.

The principal object of this lnventlon is to provide binders of the wire arch frame type with as many paper holding rings or arches as may be desired.

In my United States Patent No. 1,675,299, June 26, 1928, I disclosed a method for the convenient and inexpensive an automatic,

instance I attach manner. In the present these rings to the wire arch frames to form a 'arch'frames 11, 11,-at the points 19, 19.

28 which engages in the notch 27.

in which the cover plate is crimped about the arch frames;

Fig. 6 is a vertical line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

L Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse view on the hue 7-7 of Fig. 5, illustrating also an al ternative type of ring; and

Fig. 8 illustrates a modification of the ring.

As indicated in the figures, wire arch frame binders are composed of two bent wires 11, 11, of a peculiar configuration. Each end 12 of each wire is formed into onehalf of a paper-holding ring or arch and cooperates with the similar wire oppositely placed. The wires 11' are bowed to put a wind into the wire, and these bowed portions abut each other and coact to cause the arches to snap into and out of engagement when the wires are rotated. The wire arch frames 11 may be pivoted upon the outer marginsof ":o the clearance holes 13 inthe cover plate 14, as shown in Fig. 3, or they may be pivoted along-theirlength in the hooked margin 15 of the cover plate 16 (Fig. 5).

The cover plate 14L is provided with clear- T5 ance holes 17, 17, for an'intermediate ring 18, preferably made in acc'ordancewith Patent No. 1,675,299, and is'welded to the. wire transverse view on the Fig. 7 illustrates a form of intermediate ring which is composed of two similar prongs 21, 22, which butt together at the point' 23 and roll against each other along their curved inner ends 24. I manufacture of such loose locking rings in p In the modification shown in Fig. 8 ,-the

ring is made up of two dissimilar prongs 25 and 26. The prong 25 is provided with a notch 27, while the prong 26 bears a tongue The form inFig. 7 is open to the objection that pressure upon either one of the prongs may cause them to be displaced relative to one another, while the form shown in Fig. 8 requires that right and left prongs for the ring be manufactured and properly assembled. Y

WVhen the intermediate ring is to be welded tothe type of binder shown in Fig. 5, it is necessary to cut away the hooked margins 15, 1109 15 as at 29 and 31 to give clearance to the welding tool.

While for manufacturing reasons I prefer to use the rings shown and have selected such rings to illustrate the present embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is not theessence of the invention. and that intermediately located paper holding prongs, attached to wire arch frames come fairly Within its scope;

What I claim, therefore, is:

1. A loose leaf binder comprisingacover plate, a pair of oppositely disposed wire arch 7 frames pivoted on the cover plate, and a,two-

part hinged ring forming a paper-holding archextending'throughthe cover plate and having its parts affixed to the longitudinal portions of the two frames-v respectively.

2. A loose leaf binder having a cover plate, a: pair of articulated wire frames" retained by the cover plate and pivoted thereon to form a dead center mechanism, and a paperholding: prong; intermed-i'ately positioned upon each arch frameand'each arranged to mate with the corresponding prong upon the opposite frame, said prongs having their inneriends in. engagement.

3. In a loose leaf binder, a pair; of wire arch:,toggle members bearing mating paperholding prongs at their ends, and a pair of intermediately' located paper-holding prongs secured to said toggie members andhaving lower: end portions of said intermediately located. prongs articulated to forma toggle joint;

4-,.3A1oose leaf binder comprising a cover plate, a pair: of oppositely disposed wire frames pivoted to the cover plate; each hearing a paper-holidingprong adjacent its ends, a paperholdingprong attached to one frame at an intermediate position projecting through the; plate, and means to secure the continuous engagement of that end of the prong' lying beneath the, plate; with a similar oppositely disposed prong attached to the :other'frame. c

5., A 'loose leaf'binder comprising a cover plate, a. pair of wire frames; having terminal paper-holding prongs pivotedin said plate,

a pair of intermediate paper-'holding'prongs comprising a hingedring attached to each frame and having itshinge below'the plate and-betweenthe wire frames.

In testimony whereof I: affix my signature.

JAMES c. DAWSON. 

